Jaipur Pink City of India
Jaipur is a large city situated in Rajasthan state of India and it is also called as the Pink City. It is the headquarters of Jaipur district. The ruler of Amber, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II founded it on November 18, 1972. More than 3.9 million people lives in this city.
In the past Jaipur city was the capital of the royalty and now it is the capital of Rajasthan state. It is the well-planned city of India. Mostly Rajputs and Royal families used to live in Jaipur and structure shows the liking of these families. Even today many royal families are living there. It has all the facilities which are required for being a metropolitan city and it is a main business centre.
It is a well planned established city; broad streets have been made between the sectors. The urban quarters are also built in a planned way. The Palace quarter has a palace complex, a small lake and a formal garden.
Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II founded the city in 1727 and he ruled over the region from 1699 to 1744. During his ruling period Amber was his capital which is 11 km far from Jaipur. Due to increase in population and growing scarcity of water, king felt that he should shift his capital city. Many books on architecture and architects were consulted by the King before making Jaipur’s layout. Jaipur came into existence under the architectural guidance of Vidyadhar Bhattacharya and was based on the principles of Vastu Shastra.
Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II had many battles with the Maratha Kings so he thought about the security aspect of the Jaipur. King gave aid to Vidyadhar Bhattacharya so that he could design many buildings for the city. Royal Palace which is built in the center of the Jaipur was one of those designs.
The city was built in 4 years and they followed the principles of Shilpa Shastra which is a science of Indian Architecture. Out of total nine blocks in the city, seven blocks were allotted to the public and two blocks were used for palaces and state buildings.
In Indian subcontinent, architecture of Jaipur City was best. Prince of Wales visited Jaipur during the regime of Sawai Ram Singh in 1853 and the city was painted pink to welcome him.
Even these days one can see avenues are painted in pink color which gives an overall different look to the city.
Jaipur has modern facilities; the city has wide roads, Multi-Story Flyovers, Highways, Industries, Shopping Malls, Multiplexes, Hospitals, Schools, Colleges, Universities, Airport, Railway Station etc. It has everything which is required to make a modern city. The city has main industries for its metals and marble business. Jain, Marwaris and Kayastha of Jaipur were famous for their wealth.
The city also organises many International matches at its Sawai Mansingh Cricket stadium. People from all over the world and India come to the city to attend Jaipur Jewellery Show and Jaipur Literature Festival events.
Banas and Banganga are major rivers which pass through the city. Though city receives rainfall during monsoon months but temperatures of it remains high.
Jaipur has a colony for monkeys because monkeys and elephants are believed to be sacred.
The city has been constructed on the basis of Indian Vastu Shastra so that people of the city can have comfortable
and prosperous life. Earlier city was planned to be within the walls and many gates were constructed which used be closed during the sunset but now it has been expanded from outside of its walls.
According to a survey done in 2008 the city has been ranked at the 7th number for best place to visit in Asia.
Though many industries have been set up in Jaipur and they manufacture different products but its Gold, Diamond and Stone Jewellery exports business is famous in Asia. This is the only city which gives finishing to blue diamond.
Many famous companies such as MICo, IBM, Ericsson and NEI, Coca Cola are already flourishing here and Mahindra, TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Tech etc. have been attracted towards the city.
Jaipur is a famous tourist place in Rajasthan because it has many important ancient forts and monuments, beautiful gardens and parks such as Najafgarh Fort, Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal, Jaigarh Fort, Jantar Mantar (one of theWorld Heritage Sites), Jal Mahal, Ram Niwas Garden, Vidyadhar Garden, Central Park, Jawahar Circle Garden, Sisodia Rani Garden and Palace, Central Museum etc. which attract tourists from all over the world.
Other places which attract tourist in the city are Chokhi Dhani, Chand Baori, Kathputhli slum and Raj Mandir Cinema.
Different kinds of arts and crafts are found in the city. Some of its local dishes such as Missi Roti, Dal Baati Churma are famous at the world level. Many festivals are organised in the city.